Yesterday, we celebrated the feast day of a beautiful saint who searched for the truth and “at the end of a long journey, she came to the surprising realization: only those who commit them selves to the love of Christ become truly free.”
During his homily for the canonization of Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) on October 8, 1998, John Paul II had this to say about St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross:
“St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was able to understand that the love of Christ and human freedom are intertwined, because love and truth have an intrinsic relationship. The quest for truth and its expression in love did not seem at odds to her; on the contrary she realized that they call for one another.”
He said....."The love of Christ was the fire that inflamed the life of St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Long before she realized it, she was caught by this fire. At the beginning she devoted herself to freedom. For a long time Edith Stein was a seeker. Her mind never tired of searching and her heart always yearned for hope. She traveled the arduous path of philosophy with passionate enthusiasm. Eventually she was rewarded: she seized the truth. Or better: she was seized by it. Then she discovered that truth had a name: Jesus Christ. From that moment on, the incarnate Word was her One and All. Looking back as a Carmelite on this period of her life, she wrote to a Benedictine nun: 'Whoever seeks the truth is seeking God, whether consciously or unconsciously.'" ........To read John Paul II’s entire homily on Edith Stein, please click here.
At the end of a long journey, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross came to the surprising realization: only those who commit themselves to the love of Christ become truly free.
Interested in learning more about this amazing saint and her blessed search for truth? ENDOW has a wonderful study on saint titled: Edith Stein: Seeker of Truth. To learn more and to find a class or information on facilitating an ENDOW class please click here.
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